17 historically significant individuals born on August 2. August 2 is the birth date of several political figures, including Venezuelan novelist and president Rómulo Gallegos (1884), Israeli statesman and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres (1923), and Queen Zein al-Sharaf Talal of Jordan (1916). Argentine military leader Jorge Rafael Videla (1925) and Czechoslovak politician Viliam Schrojf (1931) were also born on this date. These individuals come from different regions and eras of the 20th century.
Total Born
17
Countries
16
Top Century
20th· 12
Top Field
association football player
4 individuals
Headline Figures
scientist
Jules A. Hoffmann
1941 – PresentNobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2011)
minister
Shimon Peres
1923 – 2016Israeli statesman who served as both Prime Minister and President of Israel, and shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the Oslo Accords. He held the presidency from 2007 to 2014.
military officer
Jorge Rafael Videla
1925 – 2013Military dictator who led Argentina's military junta from 1976-1983 during the "Dirty War" and was later convicted of human rights violations.
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (12)
14th C.20th C.
20th Century
12Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Jules A. Hoffmann
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2011)
Shimon Peres
ministerpoet
Israeli statesman who served as both Prime Minister and President of Israel, and shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the Oslo Accords. He held the presidency from 2007 to 2014.
Jorge Rafael Videla
military officerpolitician
Military dictator who led Argentina's military junta from 1976-1983 during the "Dirty War" and was later convicted of human rights violations.
Isabel Allende
novelist
Chilean-American novelist best known for her debut novel 'The House of the Spirits' (1982). Her magical realist works have been translated into dozens of languages worldwide.
Sam Worthington
actorfilm actor
Actor who gained international recognition starring as Jake Sully in James Cameron's Avatar, the highest-grossing film of all time.
Kristaps Porziņģis
basketball player
Latvian NBA basketball player who plays as a power forward/center and was drafted 4th overall by the New York Knicks in 2015.
Mohammed Kudus
association football player
Ghanaian association football player
Nacer Chadli
association football player
Belgian winger who has played for clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and represented Belgium in major international tournaments.
Yura Movsisyan
association football player
Striker who has played for clubs in MLS, Russian Premier League, and other international competitions while representing the Armenia national team.
Peter O'Toole
actordirector
Irish-British actor renowned for his portrayal of T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and eight Academy Award nominations.
Viliam Schrojf
association football player
Viliam Schrojf was a Slovak footballer who played as a goalkeeper from 1931 to 2007, representing Czechoslovakia in international matches during his career.
Zein al-Sharaf Talal
consort
Turkish-born Queen of Jordan (1934-1951) as the second wife of King Abdullah I and mother of King Talal.
19th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Rómulo Gallegos
journalistnovelist
Rómulo Gallegos wrote the classic Latin American novel "Doña Bárbara" and served briefly as Venezuela's first democratically elected president in 1948 before being overthrown by a military coup.
Carlota Garrido de la Peña
journalistteacher
Argentine journalist, writer and teacher (1870-1958)
17th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
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Johann Jakob Scheuchzer
botanistcartographer
Swiss paleontologist (1672–1733)
15th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Angelo Colocci
Catholic bishopRenaissance humanist
Renaissance Italian humanist, cleric, and bishop of Nocera
14th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Martin I of Sicily
monarchruler
King of Sicily and Infante and Crown prince of Aragon
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on August 2?
Shimon Peres, the Israeli statesman and Nobel Peace Prize winner, is likely the most internationally recognized person born on August 2, 1923. He was Israel's President and Prime Minister and played a key role in the Oslo Peace Process.
Are there any world leaders born on August 2?
Yes, several world leaders were born on August 2, such as Shimon Peres (Israeli President and Prime Minister), Jorge Rafael Videla (Argentine military dictator), and Zein al-Sharaf Talal (Queen Mother of Jordan). Venezuelan novelist and former president Rómulo Gallegos was also born on this date in 1884.
What Venezuelan writer was born on August 2?
Rómulo Gallegos, born on August 2, 1884, was a Venezuelan novelist and politician who became the country's first democratically elected president. He is best known for his novel 'Doña Bárbara,' one of the most important works of Latin American literature.